Insight guest-host Rick Kushman interviewed violinist, looper and singer/songwriter Joe Kye,of the band Joseph In The Well, about his newest release.

First Rick wanted to know about looping.

“It’s basically taking technology and using it to record yourself live. Once you have that recording, you can bring it back at any point and record more layers on top of it,” says Kye.

Live looping allows Kye to add a variety of layers and textures in the moment. As a result, "In my shows no song is played the same way twice," he explains.

Kye’s music spans many styles and reflects his diverse background.

“I was born in Korea; I grew up listening to American pop filtered through the lens of Korean pop," says Kye, who was exposed to classical music, jazz, underground hip-hop and  Stevie Wonder.

"I like to think that the music I create is a reflection of all the different experiences I’ve had,” he says.

Kye also writes a blog titled “How to be an Immigrant Musician.”

“The blog is my most personal form of therapy. I get to write about my quest for identity,” says Kye. “Being an immigrant you’re pulled in different directions. There are times when I feel really Korean and there are times when I feel really American.”

Kye says his background plays a big role in his music and his mission to break down boundaries.

“I think people get really mired down in labels and genres. For me one of my goals is to dispel those barriers and to see the universality in music, whatever the genre is.”

Kye was six when he moved to the United States. He grew up in Seattle and when his wife got a job at as a UC Davis Medical School resident he decided to try music full time. Since moving to Sacramento a few years ago he’s really made his mark on the region, winning two 2015 SAMMIES, for best new artist and artist of the year last month.

His new self-titled album will be released Saturday evening at Harlows. 

Produced for web by Melody Stone.